Outotec has acquired the business and IPRs of Republic Alternative Technologies Inc., a premium coated titanium anode engineering and fabrication company based in Cleveland, Ohio, USA. The acquisition complements Outotec's offerings for sustainable electrowinning plants and supports the company's strategy to grow its service business through providing life-cycle solutions to the customers. The transaction was completed on April 4, 2014. The acquisition price is not disclosed.

Republic Alternative Technologies is the world's first producer of innovative mixed metal oxide coated titanium anodes, which are used as an alternative to conventional lead anodes in electrowinning operations to produce copper, zinc and other metals. Thanks to low cell voltage, these coated titanium anodes consume 7 to15 % less energy than conventional lead anodes. They are currently used in industrial copper electrowinning plants in Arizona, New Mexico and South America.

Republic Alternative Technologies has 18 employees and its sales in 2013 were approximately € 9 million. Outotec plans to commercialize the application of coated titanium anodes also in zinc and nickel electrowinning processes and believes that the business has substantial growth potential worldwide.